The veins have a blue or dark purple color, making them visible on your skin. The veins appear bulging or twisted, like cords on your feet. Sometimes, painful signs and symptoms also develop. These signs are characterized by

• A heavy or achy feeling in your feet
• Throbbing, burning, muscle cramping in your lower legs
• Itching in your veins
• Worsening pain, especially after standing or sitting for an extended period
• Skin discoloration on the affected limb
• Swelling in the legs
• Leg cramps at rest, especially at night

Spider veins have a striking resemblance to the varicose veins, but they are smaller. They are also found close to the skin and often have a blue or red color. While the varicose veins primarily affect the feet, they can also affect other parts of the body.

Varicose vein risk increases with age. As we age, the valves in the veins become weak. The wear and tear will eventually allow the blood to leak back into the vein where it collects instead of flowing upwards to the heart.

Various studies show that women are more susceptible to varicose veins than men are. Hormonal changes during pregnancy or before the menstrual period cause the veins’ walls to relax, leading to blood backflow. Additionally, hormone treatment such as birth control pills can also increase your susceptibility to this condition.

The hormonal changes during pregnancy can also increase the risk for varicose veins. When you become pregnant, the blood volume in the body increases to help support the growing fetus. Unfortunately, the increased blood might be too much for your veins to push back to the heart from your feet, resulting in enlarged veins.

A sedentary lifestyle that involves standing or sitting for an extended period without movement or exercising may lead to improper blood circulation.

Being overweight exerts too much pressure on the veins, making it hard for them to push the blood to your heart.

Research also shows that individuals from a family with a history of varicose veins have an increased chance of contracting the condition.

In mild cases, doctors are rather conservative when treating varicose veins. Your doctor will advise you to make lifestyle changes rather than undergoing aggressive treatments. The following lifestyle changes can help prevent the condition from worsening.

• Avoid sitting or standing for long periods without any movement
• Lose or maintain a healthy weight
• Regular exercise to improve blood circulation
• Elevating your legs, especially after a long day at work

Wearing special compression stockings can also help in managing varicose veins. The compression socks exert enough pressure on the leg, allowing the blood to flow easily to the heart. The socks also help to decrease swelling. The compression stockings are available in different sizes and compression levels. Your doctor will assist you in picking the model that suits your needs.

Using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or aspirin can help in alleviating the occasional pain and swelling caused by varicose veins. However, if you notice that the skin around the varicose vein is becoming discolored or the pain persists without an outwards sign, contact your doctor as this could mean that a deep vein is affected.

Medical procedures are necessary, especially for the advanced varicose veins. The most common medical procedures include:

• Ligation and stripping

Litigation is a minimally invasive procedure that helps in treating varicose veins. The doctor will make two incisions during the procedure, one at the target vein and the other further down at your ankle or knee. The doctor then seals the top of the vein, inserts a thin, flexible wire through the vein’s bottom, and then pulls the wire out. The procedure usually does not require a hospital stay, and the patient often recovers within a few days.

• Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is another standard procedure for treating varicose veins. The procedure involves injecting a special chemical into the small and medium-sized varicose veins. This chemical usually scars and closes the problematic veins.

• Radiofrequency ablation

In Radiofrequency ablation, the doctor will make a small incision above or below the knee with the help of an ultrasound scan. Next, the doctor will insert a probe into the catheter that creates radiofrequency energy. The radiofrequency energy creates heat that heats the vein to collapse the walls. The procedure helps in closing the vein effectively. This method is usually recommended for extensive varicose veins and is performed with local anesthesia.

• Endovenous laser treatment

Here the doctor usually inserts a catheter into the patient’s vein. The catheter emits laser beams that deliver short energy bursts which heat and seal the affected vein. An ultrasound scan helps the doctor to thread the laser up the vein to ensure that the entire vein closes off. Similar to Radiofrequency ablation, the procedure is also performed with local anesthesia.

• Transilluminated powered phlebectomy

A special light (endoscopic transilluminator) is threaded through son incision made into the skin, allowing the doctor to see the veins that need to be removed. The doctor then uses a suction device to cut and remove the target veins. The procedure requires the use of a local or general anesthetic. It may also cause some bruising or bleeding, but it offers excellent results, especially for extensive varicose veins.